Container and dispensing mechanism for toner powder



, March 17, 1970 c. ALTMANN ETAL CONTAINER AND DISPENSING MECHANISM FORTONER POWDER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 1. 1968 FIG CONRAD ALTMANNDONALD D. LEENHOUTS INVENTORS ATTORNEYS March 17, 1970 c. ALTMANN ETAL3,501,065

CONTAINER AND DISPENSING MECHANISM FOR TONER POWDER Filed May 1, 1968 2Sheets-Sheet 2 CONRAD ALTMANN DONALD D. LEENHOUTS nan/4) ATTORNEYSUnited States Patent O 3,501,065 CONTAINER AND DISPENSING MECHANISM FORTONER POWDER Conrad Altmann and Donald D. Leenhouts, Rochester,

N.Y., assignors to Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, N.Y., a corporationof New Jersey Filed May 1, 1968, Ser. No. 725,810 Int. Cl. G01f 11/00US. Cl. 222--392 12 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A toner containerand dispenser usable with electrographic apparatus has an outer coverfrom which an inner container is mechanically slid to a dispensingposition. The inner container has an inside lining restricting thevolume of toner in the container and a shaft for taking up the liningthereby making the toner available for dispensing. A rupturable seal isalso linked to the shaft to enable opening of the container as the shaftis turned. After the container is empty, it is slid back into thestillclean cover for removal.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION Reference is made to commonlyassigned cofiled US. patent application Ser. No. 725,785, entitledLoading Mechanism filed in the name of Conrad Altmann.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to toner packagingcontainers and dispensing mechanisms usable in replenishing toner in anelectrographic machine.

In electrographic apparatus using dry toner powder, for example,electrophotographic developing apparatus, such toner must be replacedperiodically. Common commercial toners present considerable difficultyto handling, both because they blacken everything they touch and becausethey are extremely diflicult to thoroughly empty from any container.

Disposable toner containers presently in use are opened by an operatorand emptied into a dispensing mechanism in a developing apparatus.Complete emptying of toner from such containers into a dispenser by handwithout excessive blackening of person and clothing is a delicateoperation in which failure is common.

Many toner containers have been designed which are adapted to beinserted into a machine where they function as a dispensing container.Such devices have the advantage of eliminating a dispensing container asa permanent part of the machine. However, insertion of such priorcontainer-dispensers has commonly involved operator handling of thecontainer in the actual dispensing area with the attendant blackening ofhis person and clothing. Because of the dual function for suchcontainers, they have been of complex design and expensive tomanufacture.

Other toner containers have been designed which, when inserted into amachine, are opened by the machine and emptied of toner into a separatedispensing mechanism. These have an advantage over prior tonercontainers of reducing the risk to the operator of blackening of hisperson and clothing on insert. However, such prior containers havegenerally been of complex design involving complicated couplings withthe machine itself and including mechanisms for assuring thoroughemptying of the container. Because of such complexities, the containeris commonly removed for reuse when empty, with a risk at that point ofblackening the operators person or clothing.

3,501,065 Patented Mar. 17, 1970 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION These andother problems are solved by a container in which a flexible web orlining at least partially defines a volume for receiving toner and thematerial is made available for dispensing by taking up the web therebyde creasing this volume. In a preferred embodiment, this web is attachedto a shaft which is couplable to a drive means in a dispensing mechanismdesigned to receive the container. As the drive means turns, the shafttakes up the web and pushes the toner through an opening in thecontainer making it available for dispensing.

It is also a feature of the invention to make an openable top for thecontainer of a flexible material which is linked to the web take-upmechanism either directly or by linkage to the web and opens onactuation of the take-up mechanism. In a preferred embodiment, the sameweb functions both as lining and top.

A contained constructed according to this invention is well suited foruse with a cover and a loading mechanism more fully described below andto which a cofiled application, entitled Loading Mechanism, in the nameof C. Altmann, Ser. No. 725,785 is directed.

These mechanisms give a remarkable overall system which is convenient,clean and thorough in toner utilization, while using a toner containerthan can be thrown away when empty.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of atoner container and its cover.

FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 are vertical sections of a toner container illustratingalternative mechanisms for dispensing therefrom.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating a mechanism for removing thetoner container from its cover and a mechanism for feeding toner into areservoir.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS According to FIG. 1, a rigidbox-like containing means 5 is shaped to snuggly fit in a cover 1. Thecover has an open end 2. A wall 3 of the cover has a portion 4 next tothe open end 2 which is also open. When the rigid containing means 5 isinserted in the cover 1, a groove 7 on the containing means 5 isaccessible through the open portion 4 for a purpose described below.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, rigid containing means 5 has an openable end8, which can be made of an easily rupturable material such as paper.Inside the containing means 5 is a flexible web 6 in the form of alining which has a concave portion covered by end 8 which concaveportion restricts the volume of toner containable by the containingmeans 5. The web can be a full lining including side portions or apartial lining in the form of a ribbon open on the sides, butcooperating with the side walls of containing means 5 to define thetoner volume. The flexible web 6 has a portion 9 which is fixed to therigid containing means at a position adjacent to the openable end 8. Aportion 10 of the web is positioned opposite the fixed portion 9 and isconnected to a web take-up means, for example, a shaft 11, by anextension of the material making up the flexible web 6. The shaft 11 isjournaled for rotation in rigid containing means 5 and includes acoupling member 12 shown in FIG. 5.

FIGS. 3 and 4 show alternative embodiments in which an extension 28 ofthe flexible lining running from portion 10 to shaft 11 also performsthe function of providing the openable top for rigid containing means 5.As shown in FIG. 4, for convenience in certain configurations, the shaftcan be placed at the bottom of the containing means 5 thereby providinga larger openable end.

According to FIG. 5, containing means with its cover is placed by anoperatorinto a receiving nest 13 and ngagement made between groove 7 anda disc 14 carried n a positioning shaft 15. Receiving member 13 isdeigned to provide a snug fit with cover 1. As shaft 15 is ushed by theoperator, rigid containing means 5 is moved ut of cover 1 which isrestrained by receiving member 3. Containing means 5 is guided by rails16 and 17 past wall 19 which separates the clean area of the machine roma toner dispensing area. A lip 20 on the rigid conaining means 5 engageswith a top portion 21 of a wall 2 of the dispensing area to assureaccurate registration :1 the dispensing area. Positioning shaft 15 ispushed ntil coupling member 12 engages with a drive member 3 which iscoupled to the drive train of an electrographic .eveloping mechanism,not shown. At this position, the igid containing means 5 is adjacent adeveloper reseroir 24 and directly under a toner feeding means 25. Areferred form for the toner feeding means 25 is an endess belt 26 havingskiving blades 27 positioned to be coninually moved across the openabletop 8.

In operation, rotation of shaft 11 first opens top 8 by ither breakingthe paper seal shown in FIG. 2 or pullrig the extension 28 of flexibleweb 6 shown in FIGS. 3 nd 4. As take-up shaft 11 continues to turn, thearea f the concave portion of the Web 6 containing toner beomes smallerthereby reducing the volume available for ma and forcing toner outthrough now open top 8 /here it is skived by skiving blades 27 intotoner reseroir 24. A preferred arrangement for feeding toner inolvescontinuously moving flexible web 26 While the evelopment mechanism, notshown, is in operation. )rive member 23 is then turned only when toneris ,eeded. According to well-known mechanisms, drive memer 23 can beturned in response to a certain number f development cycles or inresponse to an optically ensed reduction of toner in the toner reservoir24.

When the lining 6 is pulled taut across top 8, the coniiner will beempty. An operator now pulls shaft 15, relacing containing means 5 incover 1 which has remained 1 the clean portion of the machine and cannow be llOWIl. away without blackening the hands of the opera- )r.

The invention has been described in detail with particlar reference topreferred embodiments thereof, but it ill be understood that variationsand modifications can e eifected within the spirit and scope of theinvention.

We claim: 1. In an electrographic apparatus having a toner powerreservoir, the combination comprising:

volume defining means supported in said apparatus and containing tonerpowder, said volume defining means including means defining an openingand a concavely shaped portion of a web facing said opening,

means on said apparatus detachabl coupled to said volume defining meansfor selectively reducing the area of said concavely shaped portion of aweb to force toner out of said opening, and

means for feeding toner forced out of said opening into said reservoir.

2. The invention defined in claim 1 wherein said volme defining meansincludes a housing having first and :cond spaced side walls and a webtake-up means 10- ated adjacent said first side wall and wherein saidweb I positioned in said housing and includes a first web poron attachedto said second side wall and a second web ortion attached to said webtake-up means.

3. The invention defined in claim 1 further comprislg a rotatable shaftmounted on said volume defining leans said web portion being connectedto said shaft nd said shaft being in operative association with said reareducing means in said apparatus.

4. The invention defined in claim 1 wherein said volme defining meansincludes removable means for coverig said opening and wherein said areareducing means is operativelyassociated with said covering means toeffect removal of said covering means.

5. A toner powder dispenser for an electrographic machine having a tonerreservoir, said dispenser comprising:

a toner powder container having means defining a powder dischargeopening;

flexible web means in said container restricting a toner volume;

means in said electrographic machine for taking up said flexible webmeans to force toner out of said opening; and

means for directing toner forced out of said discharge opening into saidreservoir.

6. A toner container adapted for convenient dispensing therefrom,comprising:

containing means having an openable top,

flexible means defining a toner volume inside said containing means, and

means for taking up said flexible means to reduce said toner volume andforce toner out said openable top, said take-up means including a shaftjournaled for rotation on said containing means.

7. The toner container according to claim 6 wherein said openable topincludes a flexible web connected to said take-up means.

8. The toner container according to claim 7 wherein said openable topand said flexible means are parts of the same flexible web.

9. A toner container adapted for convenient dispensing therefrom,comprising:

rigid containing means having an openable top,

take-up means mounted on said containing means,

and

a flexible lining for said containing means having first and secondsubstantially opposing portions adjacent said top, said first portionbeing secured to said containing means and said second portion beingconnected to said take-up means,

said second portion of said lining being connected to said take-up meansby an extension of said lining outside said containing means, and saidtake-up means including a rotatable shaft journaled for rotation on theoutside of said containing means.

10. A toner powder container adapted for insertion into electrographicapparatus of the type having movable dispensing means, said containercomprising:

containing means adapted to hold a volume of toner and having an openend,

a flexible lining movably supported in said containing means, theposition of said lining controlling the volume of toner holdable by saidcontaining means,

means supported by said containing means and connected to said liningfor moving said lining to force toner out of said open end said movingmeans of said container being detachably oonnectable with the dispensingmeans of the electrographic apparatus upon insertion of said containerinto the electrographic apparatus.

11. In an electrographic apparatus having a toner powder reservoir andmeans located near said reservoir for supporting a toner powdercontainer, a dispensing device comprising in combination:

(a) a toner powder container supported by said supporting means andincluding means defining a powder discharge opening and a movable,flexible liner located with respect to said discharge opening so thatmovement of said liner effects discharge of toner powder in saidcontainer from said discharge open- (b) means on said apparatus locatedproximate said container supporting means and detachably coupled to saidsupported container for moving said flexible liner; and

(c) means for directing toner powder discharged from said containeropening to said toner powder reservoir.

5 6 12. In an electrographic apparatus having a toner pow- (0) means fordirecting powder so discharged from der reservoir, a dispensing deviceadapted for use with a the supported container toward said toner powdertoner powder container of the type having a powder disreservoir. chargeopening, a movable flexible liner located with References Cited respectto the discharge opening so that movement of said liner effectsdischarge of powder from the discharge open- 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS ingand take-up means connected to said lining, said dis- ,0 7 9 8 Lamoltle222-392 pensing device comprising: 99 9 5/1911 Craven 222- 392 (a) meansproximate said reservoir for receiving and 1,987,337 1/1935 Conk ln95-439 supporting such a toner powder container; 10 3,170,332 9 5 Schabet a1 95-89 (13) means, proximate said supporting means and en-2,449,395 9/ 1948 L kSO 222392 gagable with the take-up means of acontainer supported thereby, for selectively operating the containertake-up means to efiect discharge of powder from the container; and 15STANLEY H. TOLLBERG, Primary Examiner

